I started following The Reader’s Room almost exactly a year ago, about a month after they’d begun their 2016 winter challenge. It was a scavenger hunt, and it sounded really fun, and I came across it the very day of the deadline for one of the items on the list. So I joined, and I spent the whole year working on it (enjoyably)—and then at the very end of the year, I realized I wasn’t going to finish. I could have, if I’d wanted to really push for it, but to be honest, 2016 was a bit of a traumatizing year for me. I wasn’t in a good place at the end of December, and I decided something that would help would be to quit my challenges. So here’s the scavenger hunt, and you can see the progress I did make (which, like I said, was really fun and a great way to discover interesting new books):
Challenge page at The Reader’s Room.
Dec 1: Read a book by an author who shares a birthday with you. No photo proof required but let us know who you pick.
The Essential Ginsberg, by Allen Ginsberg—June 3
Dec 2: A book that is listed at #4 on a list (Goodreads, 1001, bestseller, blogger list etc). You must provide link to your list.
The Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yoko Ogawa—fourth on the list of Yomiuri Prize Winners on Goodreads
Dec 3: A book by an author who has interacted with you on social media or by mail. Photo proof required.
Where Am I Now?, by Mara Wilson
Dec 4: A book featuring water (sea, lake, pond, etc.) on the cover. Photo proof of cover required.
Dec 5: A book with a beautiful cover. Photo proof required.
Dec 6: A book with a number in the title.
Number9Dream, by David Mitchell
Dec 7: A book by an author from a country we have featured in one of our Around the World posts.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo—Japan
Dec 8: A literary excursion.
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline—Austin, Texas. There aren’t a lot of literary sites in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so I had to be creative. We took a little road trip and went to Austin Books and Comics, which Cline describes as one of his favorite places to hang out, just down the road from where he lives.
Dec 9: A book with symbols or shapes on the cover.
Problem Solving 101, by Ken Watanabe
Dec 10: Find this symbol on one of our blog posts: 💜. Read a book by that author. Already read them all? Do a search for authors similar to X and read book by that author.
Ghostwritten, by David Mitchell
Dec 11: A book with a purple cover. Over 50% of the cover must be purple not just splash of color. Photo proof of cover required.
Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine and Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis, both by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Dec 12: Library excursion. This task requires courage and openness to possibly read outside your comfort zone. Go to your local library and into your favorite genre section. Pick an aisle at random in that section. Stand at the beginning of the aisle on your left (when facing into the stacks). Count shelves starting from the bottom and find the third shelf from the bottom. Pick out the 9th book on that shelf. Photo proof required.
Dec 13: A book with animals on the cover. Photo proof required.
Dec 14: A book with a terrible/ugly cover. Photo proof required.
A Personal Matter, by Kenzaburo Oe
Dec 15: A book with exactly 324 pages. Photo proof required of last page that shows page number.
Dec 16: A book signed by the author. Photo proof of signature page required.
Dec 17: A book that was read by another participant for one of our challenges (this challenge included). Check out the comments section of each challenge in challenge menu to find the books.
The Round House, by Louise Erdrich
Dec 18: A self-published or indie published book.
Rising Sun, by Michael Shorten
Dec 19: Little free library excursion. Photo proof required.
The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner, by Andrea Smith
Dec 20: An illustrated book. Photo proof required of an illustrated page.
Dec 21: A book with no images on the cover. Photo proof required.
Dec 22: A book with main character who either shares your initials or your first name. No photo proof required.
The Interruption of Everything, by Terry McMillan
Dec 23: A funny cover. Photo proof of cover is required.
Fresh Off the Boat, by Eddie Huang
Dec 24: Support your local indie bookstore. Photo proof required.
Book bought (Almost Transparent Blue, by Ryu Murakami) but not read.
Dec 25: Our version of a gift exchange. No photo proof required.
The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy
Dec 26: A book with fruit on the cover. Photo proof of cover required.
The Bone Clocks, by David Mitchell
Dec 27: A book that has a map inside. Photo proof required of map page.
Under the Udala Trees, by Chinelo Okparanta
Dec 28: A book reviewed on blog that Book Worm and I have given different ratings. No photo proof required. Must add a comment stating with reviewer you agree with!
The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides—I agreed with Book Worm.
Dec 29: The sky at night. A book with stars or moon on cover. Photo proof of cover is required.
Under the Wide and Starry Sky, by Nancy Horan
Dec 30: Art on the cover. Photo proof of cover is required.
The Book of the City of Ladies, by Christine de Pizan—cover illustration is a detail from folio 290, Harley ms. 4431, The British Library, London.
Dec 31: A book published during the challenge (December 2015 – March 2016).
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 3: Commercial Suicide, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
Meanwhile the World Goes On 
You live in Dallas Texas? So do I! Wow we either have read similar books, and we have a lot of the same books
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Yes! I thought I remembered seeing that on your blog, too. I live in Richardson, almost on the border with Dallas. And yes, we like – and don’t like – almost all the same genres. I do read lots of nonfiction, but I definitely don’t do Christian anything.
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I live pretty close to Richardson 🙂 in plano honestly. Pretty awesome to meet a blogger who lives so close 🙂
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It is! The apartment I lived in before this one was in Plano. What a coincidence that we live so close. 😊
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